Roadmap

Section 1: Introductory Topics

1.1 Social Influence

1.1.1 Types of Conformity and Explanations
1.1.2 Conformity to Social Roles
1.1.3 Obedience
1.1.4 Resistance to Social Influence
1.1.5 Minority Influence
1.1.6 Social Influence and Social Change

1.2 Memory

1.2.2 Types of Long-Term Memory
1.2.4 Forgetting: Interference and Retrieval Failure
1.2.5 Eyewitness Testimony: Misleading Information and Anxiety
1.2.6 The Cognitive Interview

1.3 Attachment

1.3.1 Caregiver-Infant Interactions
1.3.2 Animal Studies of Attachment: Lorenz and Harlow
1.3.4 Attachment Types: Ainsworth and Cultural Variation
1.3.6 Influence of Early Attachment on Relationships

1.4 Psychopathology

1.4.1 Definitions of Abnormality
1.4.2 Mental Disorders: Phobias, Depression and OCD
1.4.4 The Cognitive Approach to Depression
1.4.5 The Biological Approach to OCD

Paper 1: Introductory topics in Psychology

4.1.1 Social influence

4.1.1.01 - Conformity: types, explanations and Asch's research
4.1.1.02 - Explanations for obedience
4.1.1.03 - Explanations of resistance to social influence, including social support and locus of control
4.1.1.04 - Minority influence including reference to consistency, commitment and flexibility

4.1.2 Memory

4.1.2.01 - The multi-store model of memory
4.1.2.02 - The working memory model
4.1.2.03 - Explanations for forgetting
4.1.2.04 - Factors affecting the accuracy of eyewitness testimony

4.1.3 Attachment

4.1.3.01 - Animal studies of attachment
4.1.3.02 - Explanations of attachment
4.1.3.03 - The Strange Situation, attachment types and cultural variation
4.1.3.04 - Maternal deprivation and institutionalisation
4.1.3.05 - Early attachment and later relationships

4.1.4 Clinical Psychology and Mental Health

4.1.4.01 - Definitions in the field of mental health
4.1.4.02 - The behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of phobias, depression and OCD
4.1.4.03 - The behavioural approach to explaining and treating phobias
4.1.4.04 - The cognitive approach to explaining and treating depression
4.1.4.05 - The biological approach to explaining and treating OCD

Section 2: Psychology in Context

2.1 Approaches in Psychology

2.1.1 Origins of Psychology: Wundt and Introspection
2.1.2 The Behaviourist Approach
2.1.3 Social Learning Theory
2.1.4 The Cognitive Approach
2.1.5 The Biological Approach

2.2 Biopsychology

2.2.3 The Endocrine System: Glands and Hormones
2.2.4 The Fight or Flight Response
2.2.5 Brain Localisation and Hemispheric Lateralisation
2.2.6 Brain Plasticity and Functional Recovery
2.2.8 Biological Rhythms
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2.3 Research Methods

2.3.1 The Experimental Method
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2.3.3 Self-Report Techniques
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2.3.4 Correlations, Content Analysis and Case Studies
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2.3.5 Aims, Hypotheses and Sampling
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2.3.7 Observational and Questionnaire Design
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2.3.8 Variables and Control
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2.3.9 Demand Characteristics, Investigator Effects and Ethics
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2.3.10 Peer Review and Economic Implications
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2.3.11 Reliability and Validity
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2.3.12 Features of Science and Reporting Investigations
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2.3.13 Types of Data
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2.3.15 Data Presentation and Distributions
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2.3.16 Correlation Analysis and Levels of Measurement
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2.3.17 The Sign Test and Probability
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2.3.18 Choosing Statistical Tests
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Paper 2: Psychology in context

4.2.1 Approaches in Psychology

4.2.1.01 - Learning approaches
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4.2.1.02 - The cognitive approach
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4.2.1.03 - The biological approach
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4.2.1.04 - The psychodynamic approach
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4.2.1.05 - Humanistic Psychology
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4.2.1.06 - Comparison of approaches
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4.2.2 Biopsychology

4.2.2.01 - The divisions of the nervous system
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4.2.2.02 - Neurons and synaptic transmission
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4.2.2.03 - The function of the endocrine system
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4.2.2.04 - The fight or flight response including the role of adrenaline
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4.2.2.05 - Ways of studying the brain
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4.2.2.06 - Brain localisation, lateralisation, plasticity and recovery
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4.2.3 Research methods

4.2.3.01 - Experimental method and types of experiment
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4.2.3.02 - Observational Techniques - Types of Observation
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4.2.3.03 - Self-Report Techniques - Questionnaires and Interviews
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4.2.3.04 - Correlations
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4.2.3.05 - Content analysis
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4.2.3.06 - Case studies
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4.2.3.1 Scientific processes

4.2.3.1.01 - Aims
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4.2.3.1.02 - Hypotheses
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4.2.3.1.03 - Sampling
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4.2.3.1.04 - Pilot studies and the aims of piloting
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4.2.3.1.05 - Experimental designs
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4.2.3.1.06 - Observational design
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4.2.3.1.07 - Questionnaire and interview design
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4.2.3.1.08 - Variables
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4.2.3.1.09 - Control
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4.2.3.1.10 - Demand characteristics and investigator effects
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4.2.3.1.11 - Ethics, including the role of the British Psychological Society's code of ethics
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4.2.3.1.12 - The role of peer review in the scientific process
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4.2.3.1.13 - The implications of psychological research for the economy
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4.2.3.1.14 - Reliability across all methods of investigation. Ways of measuring reliability
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4.2.3.1.15 - Types of validity across all methods of investigation
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4.2.3.1.16 - Features of science
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4.2.3.1.17 - Reporting psychological investigations. Sections of a scientific report
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4.2.3.2 Data handling and analysis

4.2.3.2.01 - Quantitative and qualitative data
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4.2.3.2.02 - Primary and secondary data, including meta-analysis
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4.2.3.2.03 - Descriptive statistics
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4.2.3.2.04 - Presentation and display of quantitative data
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4.2.3.2.05 - Distributions
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4.2.3.2.06 - Analysis and Interpretation of Correlation, Including Correlation Coefficients
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4.2.3.2.07 - Levels of measurement
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4.2.3.2.08 - Coding in content analysis
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4.2.3.3 Inferential testing

4.2.3.3.01 - Introduction to statistical testing
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4.2.3.3.02 - Probability and significance
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4.2.3.3.03 - Factors affecting the choice of statistical test
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Section 3: Issues and Options

3.1 Issues and Debates

3.1.5 Idiographic and Nomothetic Approaches
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3.1.6 Ethical Implications of Research Studies and Theory
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3.2 Relationships

3.2.1 Evolutionary Explanations for Partner Preferences
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3.2.2 Factors Affecting Attraction
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3.2.4 Virtual Relationships in Social Media
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3.3 Gender

3.3.1 Sex, Gender and Androgyny
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3.3.2 Chromosomes and Hormones in Sex and Gender
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3.3.3 Cognitive Explanations of Gender Development
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3.3.4 Psychodynamic Explanation of Gender Development
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3.3.5 SLT, Culture and Media in Gender Roles
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3.3.6 Atypical Gender Development: Gender Dysphoria
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3.5 Schizophrenia

3.5.1 Classification of Schizophrenia
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3.5.4 Drug Therapy for Schizophrenia
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3.5.5 Psychological Therapies for Schizophrenia
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3.5.6 The Interactionist Approach to Schizophrenia
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3.6 Eating Behaviour

3.6.2 Neural and Hormonal Mechanisms in Eating
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3.6.5 Biological Explanations for Obesity
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3.6.6 Psychological Explanations for Obesity
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3.8 Aggression

3.8.1 Neural, Hormonal and Genetic Mechanisms in Aggression
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3.8.5 Media Influences on Aggression
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3.9 Offending Behaviour

3.9.3 Psychological Explanations of Offending Behaviour
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3.10 Addiction

3.10.6 Theories of Behaviour Change
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Paper 3 Section A: Issues and debates (compulsory)

4.3.1 Issues and debates in Psychology

4.3.1.01 - Gender and culture in Psychology – universality and bias
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4.3.1.02 - Free Will and Determinism
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4.3.1.03 - The nature-nurture debate
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4.3.1.04 - Holism and reductionism
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4.3.1.05 - Idiographic and nomothetic approaches to psychological investigation
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4.3.1.06 - Social sensitivity in psychological research
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Paper 3 Section B: Option 1 (choose one topic)

4.3.2 Relationships

4.3.2.01 - Factors affecting attraction in romantic relationships
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4.3.2.02 - Theories of romantic relationships
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4.3.2.03 - Online relationships
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4.3.2.04 - Parasocial relationships
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4.3.3 Gender

4.3.3.01 - Chromosomes, hormones and diversity in sex development
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4.3.3.02 - Gender identities and the Bem Sex Role Inventory
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4.3.3.03 - Biological explanations of gender development, including chromosomes and hormones
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4.3.3.04 - Cognitive explanations of gender development - Kohlberg and gender schema theory
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4.3.3.05 - Social learning, culture and media in gender development
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4.3.3.06 - Gender incongruence
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4.3.4 Cognition and development

4.3.4.01 - Piaget's theory of cognitive development
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4.3.4.02 - Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development
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4.3.4.03 - Baillargeon's explanation of early infant abilities, including knowledge of the physical world
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4.3.4.04 - The development of social cognition
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Paper 3 Section C: Option 2 (choose one topic)

4.3.5 Schizophrenia

4.3.5.01 - Positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, and issues in diagnosis
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4.3.5.02 - Biological explanations for schizophrenia
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4.3.5.03 - Psychological explanations for schizophrenia
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4.3.5.04 - Drug therapy
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4.3.5.05 - Cognitive behaviour therapy and family therapy as used in the treatment of schizophrenia
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4.3.5.06 - The importance of an interactionist approach in explaining and treating schizophrenia
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4.3.6 Eating behaviour

4.3.6.01 - Explanations for food preferences
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4.3.6.02 - Neural and hormonal control of eating behaviour
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4.3.6.03 - Biological explanations for anorexia nervosa
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4.3.6.04 - Psychological explanations for anorexia nervosa
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4.3.6.05 - Biological explanations for obesity, including genetic and neural
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4.3.6.06 - Psychological explanations for obesity
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4.3.7 Stress

4.3.7.01 - The physiology of stress
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4.3.7.02 - The role of stress in illness
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4.3.7.03 - Sources of stress
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4.3.7.04 - Measuring stress
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4.3.7.05 - Individual differences in stress
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4.3.7.06 - Managing and coping with stress
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Paper 3 Section D: Option 3 (choose one topic)

4.3.8 Aggression

4.3.8.01 - Neural, hormonal and genetic mechanisms in aggression
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4.3.8.02 - Ethological and evolutionary explanations of aggression
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4.3.8.03 - Social psychological explanations of human aggression
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4.3.8.04 - Institutional aggression in the context of prisons
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4.3.8.05 - Media influences on aggression, including the effects of computer games
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4.3.9 Forensic Psychology

4.3.9.01 - Offender profiling
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4.3.9.02 - Biological explanations of offending behaviour
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4.3.9.03 - Psychological explanations of offending behaviour
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4.3.9.04 - Dealing with offending behaviour
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4.3.10 Addiction

4.3.10.01 - Describing addiction
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4.3.10.02 - Risk factors in the development of addiction
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4.3.10.03 - Explanations for nicotine addiction
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4.3.10.04 - Explanations for gambling addiction
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4.3.10.05 - Reducing addiction
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4.3.10.06 - The application of Prochaska’s six-stage model of behaviour change
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